Interpenetrating Amphiphilic Polymer Networks of Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and Poly (ethylene oxide)

Interpenetrating polymer networks of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and poly(ethylene oxide) were synthesized by the free radical copolymerization of 2hydroxyethyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate in aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene oxide) diglycidyl ether (PEODGE), followed by amine-epoxy coupling reactions within the resultant gel network. The effects of ethylenediamine and PEODGE concentrations and coupling methods were examined and are discussed in this paper. Swelling studies and cryogenic-SEM analysis showed that these novel networks have high water intakes (equilibrium water content >3) and pore sizes on the order of up to 1 (mu)m.